Portland ‘serial killer’: Ex-governor under fire over Jesse Calhoun’s early prison release as ‘girlfriend’ reveals ties to victims

Josh Marcus,Gustaf Kilander and Joe Sommerlad
·44 min read
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Oregon officials have identified Jesse Lee Calhoun of Portland, as a person of interest in the mystery deaths of four women that police say are linked, law enforcement sources told The Associated Press.

The 38-year-old has not been charged with any crimes related to the investigation. He is currently in prison on unrelated charges after being arrested on 6 June for a parole violation.

Court records show that Calhoun has an extensive criminal history including 2003 and 2008 convictions for assault. He was also sentenced to four years in 2019 for burglary.

He was released early in July 2021 after being granted a “conditional commutation” by then-Oregon governor Kate Brown, due to his service as an inmate firefighter during the wildfires and the fear of Covid-19 spreading in prisons.

Meanwhile, a woman saying that she’s Calhoun’s girlfriend has said that he had links to two of the four victims, revealing that Calhoun and Ashley Real had been seeing each other on and off for about a year and that he would provide Bridget Webster with drugs in exchange for sex.

Key Points

  • Jesse Calhoun identified as person of interest in suspicious deaths of four women in Portland

  • Woman claiming to be Calhoun’s girlfriend reveals alleged links to victims

  • Who are the Oregon murder victims?

  • Mothers of women in Portland ‘serial killer’ case cling to hope of accountability

  • Did a governor’s pardon let out the possible Oregon killer?

Medical examiner has not determined cause of deaths in Oregon investigation

Thursday 20 July 2023 04:32 , Josh Marcus

Four women’s deaths in the Portland metro area have been connected to one person of interest, authorities in several police departments confirmed on Monday.

However, the manner of each of their deaths is still unclear.

According to a joint press release, the Oregon State Medical examiner has not been able to determine the cause and manner of each of their deaths.

All four women were found near or on the side of the road within 100 miles of one another.

Other Oregon deaths not part of probe, police say

Thursday 20 July 2023 05:32 , Josh Marcus

Speculation about a possible serial killer or link between deaths began last month when people pointed to six different potential homicide victims as being related.

Now police have linked four of the deaths together by one person of interest.

But two deaths, that of Oregon resident Joanna Speaks, 32, and an unidentified woman are not considered related to the current investigation.

Ms Speaks was found on an abandoned property in Ridgefield, Washington about 20 miles north of Portland. Authorities in the Clark County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Ms Speaks’ body may have been moved.

The other woman, who remains unidentified, was found in a neighbourhood in downtown Portland. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office indicated she may have been Native American or Native Alaskan and between the ages of 25 and 40.

As Oregon police investigate one potential killer, New York officials catch another

Thursday 20 July 2023 06:32 , Josh Marcus

As the Portland community awaits updates on a possible serial killer case in their area, another case is unfolding on the other side of the country.

Last week, police in New York announced a major break in the investigation of the Gilgo Beach murders, with the arrest of Manhattan-based architect Rex Heuermann as a prime suspect.

Read more:

How the Gilgo Beach serial killer turned the Long Island shore into a graveyard

Read the full update from Oregon police on suspicious deaths investigation

Thursday 20 July 2023 07:32 , Josh Marcus

Below is the joint news release from nine law enforcement agencies on 17 July.

“Investigators and prosecutors from multiple law enforcement agencies have been working collaboratively on numerous death investigations in Northwest Oregon, and they have determined that there are links between four cases: Kristin Smith, Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, and Ashley Real.

“These Investigators and prosecutors, from nine different law enforcement agencies, have been in regular communication and have been working collaboratively on these investigations for several months. These agencies include the Gresham Police Department, Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County District Attorney’s Office, and the Oregon State Police.

“No charges have been filed against anyone in connection with any of these four death investigations. Investigators have interviewed multiple people in connection with these cases and have identified at least one person of interest that is linked to all four of the decedents. Based on the available information to investigators, there is not believed to be any active danger to the community at this time.

“No additional information, including the nature of the information that links these four cases together is being released at this time, as these are ongoing death investigations. The cause and manner of death in each case remains undetermined by the Oregon State Medical Examiner.

“These four ongoing investigations include:

  • February 19, 2023 – Kristin Smith, 22 (Portland Police Bureau)

    • Missing report filed with the Gresham Police Department on December 22, 2022.

  • April 24, 2023 – Charity Lynn Perry, 24 (Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office)

  • April 30, 2023 – Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31 (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)

  • May 7, 2023 – Ashley Real, 22 (Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office)

    • Missing report filed with the Portland Police Bureau on April 4, 2023.

“Investigators continue to seek the public’s help in each of these investigations. Anyone with information about these cases is asked to contact the appropriate investigator or investigative agency. Media requests regarding specific cases should be directed to the investigating agency.

“Anyone desiring anonymity may submit tips to Crime Stoppers of Oregon. Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards of up to $2,500 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers of Oregon, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters can remain anonymous. Secure and anonymous tips may be provided at www.crimestoppersoforegon.com or visit the App Store and download P3 Tips for smart phones or tablets.

“Crime Stoppers of Oregon is funded 100% by community donations. To support Crime Stoppers of Oregon with a donation, or to view other unsolved cases, please visit http://www.crimestoppersoforegon.com/.”

Did a governor’s pardon let out the possible Oregon killer?

Thursday 20 July 2023 08:32 , Josh Marcus

Jesse Calhoun, a Portland man whom police have reportedly identified as a person of interest in the recent deaths of four Oregon women, was let out of prison early by then-governor Kate Brown.

Originally set to be released in summer of 2022, Mr Calhoun’s sentence was conditionally commuted, part of a group of 41 Oregon inmates given reduced sentences following their service in prison fire crews battling wildfires in 2020, per Willamette Week. He was released in 2021.

“I am absolutely horrified for the victims, their families, and all those who have experienced these losses,” Ms Brown told KOIN in a statement.

Separating fact from fiction in the Oregon investigation

Thursday 20 July 2023 09:32 , Josh Marcus

There are times when the media is able to race ahead of what the police can say on a big story.

That’s the case now when it comes to the ongoing Oregon police investigation of four women who were found dead around the wider Portland area in recent months.

While law enforcement sources have told local media outlets that the deaths are murders, and the potential handiwork of a currently incarcerated Portland man named Jesse Lee Calhoun, the official story is much more spare at the moment.

Police have not yet referred to the deaths as murders, nor have they named Mr Calhoun as a suspect or charged him with any crime.

GOP fueling misleading narrative that Kate Brown caused Oregon killings

Thursday 20 July 2023 11:00 , Josh Marcus

Critics on the right are attacking former Oregon governor Kate Brown for commuting the prison sentence of Jesse Lee Calhoun, a man reportedly being considered a person of interest in the suspicious deaths of four women around the Portland area in recent months.

On Twitter, the Marion County, Oregon, Republican Party highlighted a news story about the commutation, while commenters on the right lashed out at Ms Brown.

“The incompetent, evil former gov Brown released this man into society,” one account known as HoneyBadgerMom wrote on social media. “Never forget what these monsters did.”

As The Independent has reported, Calhoun was slated for release in June of 2022, but got out on 22 July, 2021, after the governor commutted his sentence for service on an inmate firefighting crew.

The suspicious deaths were discovered between February and May of 2023, likely after Calhoun would’ve been released on his original sentence.

Jesse Lee Calhoun nearly got away from police in June

Thursday 20 July 2023 12:32 , Josh Marcus

Jesse Lee Calhoun, the reported person of interest in the suspicious recent deaths of four Oregon women, had a tense recent encounter with law enforcement, according to law enforcement.

On 6 June, officers from multiple local sheriff’s departments and the US Marshals Service attempted to arrest the 38-year-old on a parole violation.

He then reportedly drove into the Willamette River and tried to escape before later being arrested, Willamette Week reports.

The 38-year-old is currently being held in Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon, according to state records.

ICYMI: Convicted burglar, father, and inmate firefighter: What we know about person of interest in Portland deaths

Thursday 20 July 2023 13:00 , Josh Marcus

Authorities have reportedly identified 38-year-old Jesse Lee Calhoun as a person of interest connected to the suspicious deaths of four women in the Portland metro area, according to anonymous law enforcement officials.

Police have not officially named a person of interest in the case or announced any charges.

Officials believe the 38-year-old has some link to the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22.

All four women were found dead within 100 miles of one another either near or on the sides of roads between February and May of this year.

Ariana Baio reports.

What we know about person of interest in Portland deaths

An inmate was pardoned by Oregon’s governor. Two years on he’s a person of interest in four suspicious deaths

Thursday 20 July 2023 13:30 , Ariana Baio

Authorities have reportedly identified 38-year-old Jesse Lee Calhoun as a person of interest connected to the suspicious deaths of four women in the Portland metro area, according to anonymous law enforcement officials.

Police have not officially named a person of interest in the case or announced any charges.

Officials believe the 38-year-old has some link to the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22.

All four women were found dead within 100 miles of one another either near or on the sides of roads between February and May of this year.

Police have not been able to determine the manners or cause of deaths.

Read more:

What we know about Portland ‘serial killer’ case person of interest Jesse Calhoun

Jesse Calhoun identified as person of interest in suspicious deaths of four women in Portland

Thursday 20 July 2023 14:00 , Josh Marcus

Oregon police have identified Jesse Lee Calhoun of Portland as a person of interest in the recent deaths of four area women that officials say are linked, according to the Associated Press, citing law enforcement sources.

On Monday, a group of nine Washington police agencies announced they had identified a person of interest in the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22. Police previously said the deaths, which took place between February and May, were unconnected.

Police have not publicly named Calhoun as a person of interest or charged him with any crimes related to the investigation.

Calhoun, whose last address was in Portland, is currently in custody at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon, on unrelated charges, according to state records.

The 38-year-old entered custody on 6 July, and is scheduled to be released. Records do not indicate why the man is in jail.

Read more:

Jesse Calhoun identified as person of interest in deaths of four women in Portland

Portland police dismissed serial killer fears after the deaths of six women. Then came a chilling connection

Thursday 20 July 2023 14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

After 22-year-old Kristin Smith vanished from Gresham, Oregon, late last year, her mother Melissa spent months distributing flyers around Portland, giving interviews to local media and true crime podcasts, posting in Facebook groups devoted to finding missing persons and running a GoFundMe page to help keep the search alive.

Police were notified of Kristin’s disappearance three days before Christmas and her mother spent a miserable winter doing everything she could to raise awareness in the hope of being reunited with her lost daughter, whom she began to fear could have become a victim of sex-trafficking.

Then, on 19 February, Melissa’s worst nightmare became a reality when Kristin’s body was found in woodland outside of Gresham’s Pleasant Valley neighbourhood.

Writing subsequently on her fundraising page, Melissa Smith described herself as “deeply saddened, lost and broken” and expressed her certainty that Kristin had been murdered, even though law enforcement had yet to say as much.

“I hope the police get this monster but if they can’t I’LL NEVER GIVE UP FIGHTING FOR MY CHILD,” she wrote in defiance, pledging to use the donations she received to pay for a memorial to Kristin and to employ a private investigator to pursue her case if necessary.

Since then, the bodies of five more young women have been discovered within a 100-mile stretch of the Portland Metro area and, on Monday, police said they believed that at least four of them could be linked to one person of interest, whom they declined to identify, having previously said they had “no reason to believe” such a connection existed.

Read more:

Is there a serial killer in Portland? What we know about string of mystery deaths

Mothers hope for answers as authorities announce 'person of interest' in deaths of 4 women in Oregon

Thursday 20 July 2023 15:00 , Andrew Selsky, Lisa Baumann, AP

The announcement that authorities are holding a person of interest in the case of four women found dead this year around Portland has mothers of the victims hoping they may finally get answers about what happened to their daughters.

One of the victims was Charity Lynn Perry, 24, whose body was discovered April 24 in a state park along the Columbia River Gorge. Her mother, Diana Allen, said Tuesday that she learned the news about the person of interest from traditional and social media, although she is in communication with a detective on the case.

“I’m in the dark about a lot,” Allen told The Associated Press. “But the detective and I understand why this is required. We don’t need anything messing up this investigation.”

Allen said she knows Charity died in April, but she has not been given an exact date and authorities were unable to tell how she died just from looking at her. The state medical examiner has not determined the cause or manner of death for Charity or the other women, prosecutors said in a statement.

“This hurts so bad. My daughter had such bad mental health issues, and any hope of her getting better is gone. It’s gone now, and a horrid ache replaced it,” Allen said.

Read more:

Mothers hope for answers as authorities announce 'person of interest' in deaths of 4 women in Oregon

Deaths of four women in Portland linked to person of interest, authorities say

Thursday 20 July 2023 15:30 , Bevan Hurley

Authorities in Oregon say they have identified a person of interest in an investigation into a string of murders of in the greater Portland Metro area.

The bodies of six women have been found in roadsides and woods in a 100-mile area of the city between February and May this year, prompting fears of a possible serial killer.

On Monday, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office announced it had connected four of the victims to a sole person of interest, according to KPTV.

The person’s identity has not been released by authorities, and they are not currently facing criminal charges in connection with the murders, the sheriff’s office said.

Read more:

Person of interest identified in connection with four murders in Portland

Woman claiming to be girlfriend of person of interest in Oregon killings reveals alleged links to victims

Thursday 20 July 2023 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A woman who says that the recently detained person of interest in the suspected Oregon serial killer case Jesse Lee Calhoun lived with her and her children for a year and a half, has shared allegations that there may have been connections between the 38-year-old and some of the victims.

In a video interview shared on YouTube, Krista Senor said Calhoun was linked to at least two of the four murdered women and that he had sex and sold fentanyl to other women during their relationship, according to Oregon Live.

“I’m still in shock over this. It’s just surreal,” Ms Sinor, 43 told The Oregonian on Wednesday. “It’s very strange. I can’t wrap my mind around any of it. Neither can his family or friends.”

Police spent three days searching her apartment in Milwaukie, Oregon after they arrested Calhoun on 6 June.

Former Oregon Governor Kate Brown commuted Calhoun’s sentence for several burglaries on 23 June 2021, about a year before he was set to be released, for his work fighting wildfires.

Read more:

Girlfriend of person of interest in Oregon murders shares alleged links to victims

VIDEO: Deaths of 4 women connected to man who was released from prison early in 2021

Thursday 20 July 2023 16:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Who are the victims?

Thursday 20 July 2023 17:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Two months after the discovery of Kristin Smith, police reported finding the body of JoAnna Speaks, a 32-year-old mother-of-two, near an abandoned barn in rural Clark County near Ridgefield, Washington, on 8 April, with investigators concluding she had suffered fatal blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

Then, on 24 April, the body of Charity Lynn Perry, 24, from Longview, Washington, was found near a culvert by the East Historic Columbia River Highway close to Ainsworth State Park in Multnomah County, as was that of another unidentified woman near Interstate 205 in the same county, whom a medical examiner said was between 25 and 40 years old and could possibly be Native American or Native Alaskan.

Later that week, Milwaukee woman Bridget Leann (Ramsey) Webster, 31, was found dead on Harmony Road near Mill Creek in northwest Polk County on 30 April.

Then, on 7 May, Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies found the body of Ashley Real, 22, in a wooded area near Eagle Creek, about 23 miles southeast of Portland.

In all five cases, investigating officers declined to speculate about the possible cause of their deaths but said each was being treated as suspicious.

They now believe the cases of Smith, Perry, Webster and Real could be linked.

Sources previously told Oregon Live in June that at least three of the victims were known to frequent the same areas of downtown Portland in the months before their deaths, a clue to at least one direction the investigation could take.

What have the authorities said?

Thursday 20 July 2023 17:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Monday’s statement from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office read: “Investigators and prosecutors from multiple law enforcement agencies have been working collaboratively on numerous death investigations in northwest Oregon, and they have determined that there are links between four cases: Kristin Smith, Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, and Ashley Real.

“No charges have been filed against anyone in connection with any of these four death investigations. Investigators have interviewed multiple people in connection with these cases and have identified at least one person of interest that is linked to all four of the decedents. Based on the available information to investigators, there is not believed to be any active danger to the community at this time.

“No additional information, including the nature of the information that links these four cases together is being released at this time, as these are ongoing death investigations. The cause and manner of death in each case remains undetermined by the Oregon state medical examiner.”

In early June, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) had appealed for calm and denied online rumours that the deaths might be linked.

“PPB has no reason to believe these six cases are connected,” it said in a statement.

“We ask that our community be aware of the facts about these cases before sharing speculation. PPB is assuring our community that if we learn of an articulable danger, we will notify the public about it. PPB will continue to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies to ensure we are doing all we can to pursue justice for any and all crime victims.”

Mothers of women in Portland ‘serial killer’ case cling to hope of accountability

Thursday 20 July 2023 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The mothers of four women found dead in suspicious circumstances around the Portland metro area are hoping for accountability after police identified a person of interest in the case.

Between February and May this year, the bodies of six women were found in roadsides and woods in a 100-mile area of the city, sparking fears of a serial killer in the area.

Jesse Calhoun, a former convict who is currently behind bars for a parole violation in connection to another case, was identified on Monday as a person of interest in the deaths of four of the women, according to law enforcement sources.

The four women are: Ashley Real, 22, Bridget Leann Ramsey Webster, 31, Charity Lynn Perry, 24, and Kristin Smith, 22.

Calhoun, 38, hasn’t been charged with a crime and officials haven’t shared any information about what led to the sudden development in the case.

Read more:

Mothers of women in Portland ‘serial killer’ case cling to hope of accountability

An inmate was pardoned by Oregon’s governor. Two years on he’s a person of interest in four suspicious deaths

Thursday 20 July 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

Authorities have reportedly identified a 38-year-old man as a person of interest connected to the suspicious deaths of four women in the Portland metro area, according to anonymous law enforcement officials.

Police have not officially named a person of interest in the case or announced any charges but several news outlets, including the Associated Press, have identified him as Jesse Lee Calhoun.

Officials believe the person of interest has some link to the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22.

All four women were found dead within 100 miles of one another either near or on the sides of roads between February and May of this year.

Police have not been able to determine the manners or cause of deaths.

Read more:

What we know about Portland ‘serial killer’ case person of interest Jesse Calhoun

Police initially rejected serial killer theory

Thursday 20 July 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

Initially, amid rumours of a possible serial killer, police in Portland denied the four women were connected to a group of six deaths that all appeared to be similar.

However, the Multnomah County District Attorney later contradicted this, announcing in a statement on Monday that police now had reason to believe four of the deaths were linked.

They did not specify how they were connected other than identifying one person of interest. Authorities said they were able to determine the link after talking with multiple people who were connected to some of the victims.

Calhoun has been in trouble with authorities multiple times

Thursday 20 July 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Court records indicated Calhoun has been in trouble with authorities multiple times.

In 2019, Calhoun was sentenced to four years and two months in prison after being convicted of first-degree and second-degree burglary.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office accused him of breaking into homes in the neighbourhoods of Troutdale, Fairview and Gresham. Investigators had linked him to a “handful” of other cases in Clackamas and Clark Counties as well.

When a SWAT team arrived that year to arrest Calhoun on outstanding warrants, he choked a police dog and kicked an officer, according to court records viewed by KOIN.

During his arrest, authorities found modified firearms, more than 500 rounds of ammunition and six grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle.

After his arrest, residents of the neighbourhoods and surrounding areas reported a “significant” drop in property crimes and burglaries.

Calhoun was taken back to prison on 7 July

Thursday 20 July 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

Calhoun was originally set to be released in 2022 but served a shortened version of his 2019 sentence. In July of 2021, he was granted a “conditional commutation” by the then-governor of Oregon, Kate Brown, due to his service as an inmate wildland firefighter the previous year.

Multnomah County senior deputy district attorney Todd Jackson asked Governor Tina Kotek last month to lift Calhoun’s commutation so he could serve out the rest of his sentence.

In a letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Mr Jackson wrote: “Since his release from custody pursuant to this commutation, Mr. Calhoun has been involved in criminal activity currently under investigation by Oregon law enforcement.”

He continued: “In light of this, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and Multnomah County Department of Community Justice recommends Mr. Calhoun’s commutation be revoked.”

Calhoun was taken back to prison on 7 July and is currently in custody at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon, on unrelated charges, according to state records.

‘My first thought is that maybe a fentanyl overdose and he freaked out'

Thursday 20 July 2023 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander

In a video interview shared on YouTube, Krista Senor said Calhoun was linked to at least two of the four women found dead and that he had sex and sold fentanyl to other women during their relationship, according to Oregon Live.

Ms Sinor said Calhoun was connected to two of the victims, Ashley Real, 22, from Portland, and Bridget Leann Ramsey Webster, 31, from Milwaukie.

The other two victims are Charity Perry and Kristin Smith – police said on Monday 17 July that their deaths are connected and that a person of interest had been identified.

Ms Sinor said in the YouTube interview that Calhoun and Ms Real had been seeing each other on and off for about a year and that he would provide Ms Webster with drugs in exchange for sex, but Ms Sinor added that she didn’t know how Calhoun was linked to Ms Perry or Ms Smith.

When Ms Sinor was asked if Calhoun is a serial killer, Ms Sinor said “My first thought is that maybe a fentanyl overdose and he freaked out”.

“He’s a family guy. He seems like a family guy. He’s really close with his family and he would do anything for them and stuff but like my kids ... he loves my kids and my kids love him,” she added in the YouTube interview, according to KGW.

‘I don’t know how he made it through the 10 officers'

Thursday 20 July 2023 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

A man who saw Calhoun being arrested told KGW that “There’s craziness in the world. You hope it doesn’t happen too often. It was pretty nuts to see it happen in my backyard”.

Calhoun was arrested on 6 June as he and his girlfriend were at a gas station in Milwaukie. The arrest didn’t occur without incident.

“I don’t know how he made it through the 10 officers but he made it through and across traffic and down to the river and hopped in,” the witness told KGW.

“I was like, ‘I wonder what this guy did,’” the witness added. “It seems whatever he did was really important — or required that much law enforcement, I should say.

“I don’t want to see him come out from bars ever again.”

Mothers of women in Portland ‘serial killer’ case cling to hope of accountability

Thursday 20 July 2023 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The mothers of four women found dead in suspicious circumstances around the Portland metro area are hoping for accountability after police identified a person of interest in the case.

Between February and May this year, the bodies of six women were found in roadsides and woods in a 100-mile area of the city, sparking fears of a serial killer in the area.

Jesse Calhoun, a former convict who is currently behind bars for a parole violation in connection to another case, was identified on Monday as a person of interest in the deaths of four of the women, according to law enforcement sources.

The four women are: Ashley Real, 22, Bridget Leann Ramsey Webster, 31, Charity Lynn Perry, 24, and Kristin Smith, 22.

Calhoun, 38, hasn’t been charged with a crime and officials haven’t shared any information about what led to the sudden development in the case.

Read more:

Mothers of women in Portland ‘serial killer’ case cling to hope of accountability

‘My daughter had such bad mental health issues, and any hope of her getting better is gone'

Thursday 20 July 2023 22:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Diana Allen is the mother of Perry, who was found dead in a state park along the Columbia River Gorge.

Ms Allen said on Tuesday that she found out about the person of interest via the media, but added that she’s in communication with a detective working on the case.

“I’m in the dark about a lot,” Ms Allen told The Associated Press. “But the detective and I understand why this is required. We don’t need anything messing up this investigation.”

She added that she knows that her daughter died in April, but not the precise date or how she died.

The state medical examiner hasn’t been able to determine the cause or manner of death for any of the four women as of yet.

“This hurts so bad. My daughter had such bad mental health issues, and any hope of her getting better is gone. It’s gone now, and a horrid ache replaced it,” Ms Allen said.

Smith’s mother said she hopes that the identification of a person of interest can lead to some resolution.

‘I’m just really hoping that this is it'

Thursday 20 July 2023 23:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Smith’s mother said she hopes that the identification of a person of interest can lead to some resolution.

“I’m just really hoping that this is it. I don’t know – I guess I’m still kind of in shock by it all, but I’m just hoping that we got him,” Melissa Smith told KATU-TV.

Smith was reported missing in December and her body was located in a wooded area south of Portland in February. Her mother said that no parent should have to accept that their “child was killed and in a very disturbing, morbid, traumatizing way,” according to a GoFundMe fundraising page.

Darcie Byers-Ramsey, Webster’s mother of Ms Webster, took to Facebook to ask anyone who knew anything about the case to contact law enforcement.

“They aren’t looking to bust anyone if you have warrants or partake in drugs etc. We do not care about that. We just want answers,” she wrote. “Please help my boys, my family and I to get closure.”

Webster was found dead on 30 April in Polk County.

‘I am absolutely horrified for the victims, their families, and all those who have experienced these losses'

Friday 21 July 2023 00:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The fourth woman – Ashley Real – was last spotted at a fast food restaurant in Portland on 27 March and was reported as missing on 4 April. Her body was located more than a month later, on 7 May, in a Clackamas County forest by a man fishing in a pond in the area.

Calhoun was returned to state prison on 7 July after Oregon Governor Tina Kotek reinstated his sentence after it was previously commuted by her predecessor Kate Brown, a law enforcement official told the AP.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in a Monday statement that the investigators have “interviewed multiple people,” adding they don’t think there’s an active threat to the public.

Calhoun was convicted in 2019 on charges of burglary and vehicle theft.

His sentence was commuted in 2021 – a key factor being that he had helped fight wildfires as a volunteer inmate firefighter. Calhoun had been set to be released in June of last year.

“I am absolutely horrified for the victims, their families, and all those who have experienced these losses,” Ms Brown told The AP on Tuesday.

Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson asked Ms Kotek last month that Calhoun be returned to prison and serve the rest of his sentence.

“Since his release from custody pursuant to this commutation, Mr Calhoun has been involved in criminal activity currently under investigation by Oregon law enforcement,” he said in a letter sent on 30 June. “In light of this, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and Multnomah County Department of Community Justice recommends Mr Calhoun’s commutation be revoked.”

Governor under fire after it emerges person of interest released to fight wildfires before deaths

Friday 21 July 2023 00:45 , Gustaf Kilander

The person of interest in the Oregon deaths of four women was let out early from prison because of concerns that Covid-19 was spreading in prisons.

Jesse Lee Calhoun, 38, was arrested on 6 June. The four women have been found dead in the Portland Metro Area since February.

He was released among around 1,000 other inmates who were granted clemency by former Oregon Governor Kate Brown in 2021 as Covid-19 was spreading among inmates, according to the Willamette Week.

Calhoun was jailed in 2019 following a number of burglaries, in addition to possessing a stolen vehicle, injuring a police officer, and choking a police dog. He was set to remain behind bars until June 2022. A key factor in his early release was his work fighting wildfires.

He has been named as a person of interest in the deaths of Ashley Real, Bridget Webster, Kristin Smith, and Charity Lynn Perry.

Read more:

Governor under fire after person of interest in deaths released to fight wildfires

Worries about a possible serial killer began to take form last month as all women died in suspicious ways

01:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Worries about a possible serial killer began to take form last month as all women died in suspicious ways around the Portland metro area.

Robyn Speaks’s sister Joanna was found dead in a rural area with blunt force trauma to her head and neck, police have said, with the case later being billed as a homicide.

Ms Speaks told NewsNation that she believes the police “are trying to make sure that they keep the public from being too freaked out about [a] serial killer. Either way, women are dying. And the numbers are rising”.

“No charges have been filed against anyone in connection with any of these four death investigations,” the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agencies said in a press release. “Investigators have interviewed multiple people in connection with these cases and have identified at least one person of interest that is linked to all four of the decedents.”

‘Kate Brown’s legacy continues to have dire consequences for Oregonians,’ GOP says

02:15 , Gustaf Kilander

The Oregon Senate GOP rebuked former Governor Kate Brown on Twitter for the early release of prisoners.

“Governor Kate Brown let >1,000 violent criminals out of prison early and now one of them is a top suspect in the killing of 4 women. A deadly consequence of a soft-on-crime Democrat governor & a soft-on-crime Democrat majority that refused to hold her accountable,” they wrote.

Oregon Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp said in a statement that “Even after leaving public office as America’s most unpopular governor, Kate Brown’s legacy continues to have dire consequences for Oregonians. If Jesse Lee Calhoun is found guilty of these murders, Kate Brown will have signed the death warrants of four innocent women in the name of ‘second chances’”.

“Oregon Democrats have a pathetic record of putting criminals over victims and patting themselves on the back for it. We have not forgotten that the Democrat majority stayed totally silent while Governor Brown issued a record number of commutations and pardons for drug dealers, murderers, rapists, and other violent offenders like Calhoun. This is disgraceful,” he added. “On behalf of all Oregonians, we demand that Democrat leaders govern to protect-not jeopardize-the lives of Oregonians by holding criminals accountable and allowing law enforcement to keep us safe. Our hearts go out to the victims’ families, and we pray for healing in the years to come. The perpetrator must be fully held accountable.”

‘Oregonians shouldn’t have to die because Democrats followed a failed policy of letting criminals out,’ Republican says

03:00 , Gustaf Kilander

During an appearance on Fox News, Oregon Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp said that “Oregonians shouldn’t have to die because Democrats followed a failed policy of letting criminals out of prison and giving them a second chance when their victims don’t get a second chance”.

GOP fueling misleading narrative that Kate Brown caused Oregon deaths

04:00 , Josh Marcus

Critics on the right are attacking former Oregon governor Kate Brown for commuting the prison sentence of Jesse Lee Calhoun, a man reportedly being considered a person of interest in the suspicious deaths of four women around the Portland area in recent months.

On Twitter, the Marion County, Oregon, Republican Party highlighted a news story about the commutation, while commenters on the right lashed out at Ms Brown.

“The incompetent, evil former gov Brown released this man into society,” one account known as HoneyBadgerMom wrote on social media. “Never forget what these monsters did.”

As The Independent has reported, Calhoun was slated for release in June of 2022, but got out on 22 July, 2021, after the governor commutted his sentence for service on an inmate firefighting crew.

The suspicious deaths were discovered between February and May of 2023, likely after Calhoun would’ve been released on his original sentence.

Separating fact from fiction in the Oregon investigation

05:00 , Josh Marcus

There are times when the media is able to race ahead of what the police can say on a big story.

That’s the case now when it comes to the ongoing Oregon police investigation of four women who were found dead around the wider Portland area in recent months.

While law enforcement sources have told local media outlets that the deaths are murders, and the potential handiwork of a currently incarcerated Portland man named Jesse Lee Calhoun, the official story is much more spare at the moment.

Police have not yet referred to the deaths as murders, nor have they named Mr Calhoun as a suspect or charged him with any crime.

Did a governor’s pardon let out the possible Oregon killer?

06:00 , Josh Marcus

Jesse Calhoun, a Portland man whom police have reportedly identified as a person of interest in the recent deaths of four Oregon women, was let out of prison early by then-governor Kate Brown.

Originally set to be released in summer of 2022, Mr Calhoun’s sentence was conditionally commuted, part of a group of 41 Oregon inmates given reduced sentences following their service in prison fire crews battling wildfires in 2020, per Willamette Week. He was released in 2021.

“I am absolutely horrified for the victims, their families, and all those who have experienced these losses,” Ms Brown told KOIN in a statement.

An inmate was pardoned by Oregon’s governor. Two years on he’s a person of interest in four suspicious deaths

07:00 , Ariana Baio

Authorities have reportedly identified 38-year-old Jesse Lee Calhoun as a person of interest connected to the suspicious deaths of four women in the Portland metro area, according to anonymous law enforcement officials.

Police have not officially named a person of interest in the case or announced any charges.

Officials believe the 38-year-old has some link to the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22.

All four women were found dead within 100 miles of one another either near or on the sides of roads between February and May of this year.

Police have not been able to determine the manners or cause of deaths.

Read more:

What we know about Portland ‘serial killer’ case person of interest Jesse Calhoun

‘I don’t know how he made it through the 10 officers'

08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A man who saw Calhoun being arrested told KGW that “There’s craziness in the world. You hope it doesn’t happen too often. It was pretty nuts to see it happen in my backyard”.

Calhoun was arrested on 6 June as he and his girlfriend were at a gas station in Milwaukie. The arrest didn’t occur without incident.

“I don’t know how he made it through the 10 officers but he made it through and across traffic and down to the river and hopped in,” the witness told KGW.

“I was like, ‘I wonder what this guy did,’” the witness added. “It seems whatever he did was really important — or required that much law enforcement, I should say.

“I don’t want to see him come out from bars ever again.”

Mothers of women in Portland ‘serial killer’ case cling to hope of accountability

09:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The mothers of four women found dead in suspicious circumstances around the Portland metro area are hoping for accountability after police identified a person of interest in the case.

Between February and May this year, the bodies of six women were found in roadsides and woods in a 100-mile area of the city, sparking fears of a serial killer in the area.

Jesse Calhoun, a former convict who is currently behind bars for a parole violation in connection to another case, was identified on Monday as a person of interest in the deaths of four women, according to law enforcement sources.

The four women are: Ashley Real, 22, Bridget Leann Ramsey Webster, 31, Charity Lynn Perry, 24, and Kristin Smith, 22.

Calhoun, 38, hasn’t been charged with a crime and officials haven’t shared any information about what led to the sudden development in the case.

Read more:

Mothers of women in Portland ‘serial killer’ case cling to hope of accountability

‘My daughter had such bad mental health issues, and any hope of her getting better is gone'

10:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Diana Allen is the mother of Perry, who was found dead in a state park along the Columbia River Gorge.

Ms Allen said on Tuesday that she found out about the person of interest via the media, but added that she’s in communication with a detective working on the case.

“I’m in the dark about a lot,” Ms Allen told The Associated Press. “But the detective and I understand why this is required. We don’t need anything messing up this investigation.”

She added that she knows that her daughter died in April, but not the precise date or how she died.

The state medical examiner hasn’t been able to determine the cause or manner of death for any of the four women as of yet.

“This hurts so bad. My daughter had such bad mental health issues, and any hope of her getting better is gone. It’s gone now, and a horrid ache replaced it,” Ms Allen said.

‘I’m just really hoping that this is it'

11:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Kristin Smith’s mother said she hopes that the identification of a person of interest can lead to some resolution.

“I’m just really hoping that this is it. I don’t know – I guess I’m still kind of in shock by it all, but I’m just hoping that we got him,” Melissa Smith told KATU-TV.

Smith was reported missing in December and her body was located in a wooded area south of Portland in February. Her mother said that no parent should have to accept that their “child was killed and in a very disturbing, morbid, traumatizing way,” according to a GoFundMe fundraising page.

Darcie Byers-Ramsey, Webster’s mother of Ms Webster, took to Facebook to ask anyone who knew anything about the case to contact law enforcement.

“They aren’t looking to bust anyone if you have warrants or partake in drugs etc. We do not care about that. We just want answers,” she wrote. “Please help my boys, my family and I to get closure.”

Webster was found dead on 30 April in Polk County.

‘I am absolutely horrified for the victims, their families, and all those who have experienced these losses,’ ex-governor says

12:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Ashley Real was last spotted at a fast food restaurant in Portland on 27 March and was reported as missing on 4 April. Her body was located more than a month later, on 7 May, in a Clackamas County forest by a man fishing in a pond in the area.

Calhoun was returned to state prison on 7 July after Oregon Governor Tina Kotek reinstated his sentence after it was previously commuted by her predecessor Kate Brown, a law enforcement official told the AP.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in a Monday statement that the investigators have “interviewed multiple people,” adding they don’t think there’s an active threat to the public.

Calhoun was convicted in 2019 on charges of burglary and vehicle theft.

His sentence was commuted in 2021 – a key factor being that he had helped fight wildfires as a volunteer inmate firefighter. Calhoun had been set to be released in June of last year.

“I am absolutely horrified for the victims, their families, and all those who have experienced these losses,” Ms Brown told The AP on Tuesday.

Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson asked Ms Kotek last month that Calhoun be returned to prison and serve the rest of his sentence.

“Since his release from custody pursuant to this commutation, Mr Calhoun has been involved in criminal activity currently under investigation by Oregon law enforcement,” he said in a letter sent on 30 June. “In light of this, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and Multnomah County Department of Community Justice recommends Mr Calhoun’s commutation be revoked.”

Governor under fire after it emerges person of interest released to fight wildfires before deaths

13:00 , Gustaf Kilander

The person of interest in the Oregon deaths of four women was let out early from prison because of concerns that Covid-19 was spreading in prisons.

Jesse Lee Calhoun, 38, was arrested on 6 June. The four women have been found dead in the Portland Metro Area since February.

He was released among around 1,000 other inmates who were granted clemency by former Oregon Governor Kate Brown in 2021 as Covid-19 was spreading among inmates, according to the Willamette Week.

Calhoun was jailed in 2019 following a number of burglaries, in addition to possessing a stolen vehicle, injuring a police officer, and choking a police dog. He was set to remain behind bars until June 2022. A key factor in his early release was his work fighting wildfires.

He has been named as a person of interest in the deaths of Ashley Real, Bridget Webster, Kristin Smith, and Charity Lynn Perry.

Read more:

Governor under fire after person of interest in deaths released to fight wildfires

Woman claiming to be girlfriend of person of interest in Oregon deaths reveals alleged links to victims

14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

A woman who says that the recently detained person of interest in the suspected Oregon serial killer case Jesse Lee Calhoun lived with her and her children for a year and a half, has shared allegations that there may have been connections between the 38-year-old and some of the victims.

In a video interview shared on YouTube, Krista Senor said Calhoun was linked to at least two of the four women found dead and that he had sex and sold fentanyl to other women during their relationship, according to Oregon Live.

“I’m still in shock over this. It’s just surreal,” Ms Sinor, 43 told The Oregonian on Wednesday. “It’s very strange. I can’t wrap my mind around any of it. Neither can his family or friends.”

Police spent three days searching her apartment in Milwaukie, Oregon after they arrested Calhoun on 6 June.

Former Oregon Governor Kate Brown commuted Calhoun’s sentence for several burglaries on 23 June 2021, about a year before he was set to be released, for his work fighting wildfires.

Read more:

Girlfriend of person of interest in Oregon deaths shares alleged links to victims

Who are the Oregon murder victims?

15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Two months after the discovery of Kristin Smith, police reported finding the body of JoAnna Speaks, a 32-year-old mother-of-two, near an abandoned barn in rural Clark County near Ridgefield, Washington, on 8 April, with investigators concluding she had suffered fatal blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

Then, on 24 April, the body of Charity Lynn Perry, 24, from Longview, Washington, was found near a culvert by the East Historic Columbia River Highway close to Ainsworth State Park in Multnomah County, as was that of another unidentified woman near Interstate 205 in the same county, whom a medical examiner said was between 25 and 40 years old and could possibly be Native American or Native Alaskan.

Later that week, Milwaukee woman Bridget Leann (Ramsey) Webster, 31, was found dead on Harmony Road near Mill Creek in northwest Polk County on 30 April.

Then, on 7 May, Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies found the body of Ashley Real, 22, in a wooded area near Eagle Creek, about 23 miles southeast of Portland.

In all five cases, investigating officers declined to speculate about the possible cause of their deaths but said each was being treated as suspicious.

They now believe the cases of Smith, Perry, Webster and Real could be linked.

Sources previously told Oregon Live in June that at least three of the victims were known to frequent the same areas of downtown Portland in the months before their deaths, a clue to at least one direction the investigation could take.

Is there a serial killer in Portland? What we know about string of mystery deaths

Who is ‘person of interest’ Jesse Calhoun in the Oregon murders case?

16:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Oregon police have identified Jesse Lee Calhoun of Portland as a person of interest in the recent deaths of four area women that officials say are linked, according to the Associated Press, citing law enforcement sources.

On Monday, a group of nine Washington police agencies announced they had identified a person of interest in the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22.

Police previously said the deaths, which took place between February and May, were unconnected.

Police have not publicly named Calhoun as a person of interest or charged him with any crimes related to the investigation.

Calhoun, whose last address was in Portland, is currently in custody at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon, on unrelated charges, according to state records.

The 38-year-old entered custody on 6 July and is scheduled to be released.

Josh Marcus has this report.

Jesse Calhoun identified as person of interest in deaths of four women in Portland